AP.jpg AP Government and Politics Exam Guide for Unit V


Each of the links below contain all of the Wilson Study Guides for each chapter (featuring outlines, matching, true/false, multiple choice, and SRQs) that came from the 12th edition of the Wilson workbook. The multiple choice questions found on your unit exam may be taken from this bank of questions...study and review all of them in order to prepare!

Chapter 12 Study Guide
Chapter 13 Study Guide
Chapter 20 Study Guide


The following SRQ (Short Response Questions) are the actual questions that were originally found in the Advanced Placement United States History Exams that have been held since 1999. Learn from the past and anticipate answering similar questions on the AP Exam this year...

1999 Exam - Question 3: Is Congress effective in exercising legislative oversight of the federal bureaucracy? Support your answer by doing ONE of the following.
  • Explain two specific methods Congress uses to exercise effective oversight of the federal bureaucracy
  • Give two specific explanations for the failure of Congress to exercise effective oversight of the federal bureaucracy.

2002 Exam - Question 1: The concept of "divided government" in the United States means that one political party can control the executive branch while another controls the legislative branch. This poses problems for the President in making appointments to federal offices.
  • Describe two problems that divided government poses for the President in making federal appointments.
  • Identify and explain two ways Presidents try to overcome the problems described in the first bullet.

2003 Exam - Question 1: Presidential approval ratings fluctuate over the course of each presidential administration.
  • Identify two factors that decrease presidential approval ratings, and explain why each factor has that effect.
  • Identify two factors that increase presidential approval ratings, and explain why each factor has that effect.

2004 Exam - Question 1: Presidents are generally throught to have advantages over Congress in conducting foreign policy because of the formal and informal powers of the presidency.
  • Identify two formal constitutional powers of the President in making foreign policy.
  • Identify two formal constitutional powers of Congress in making foreign policy.
  • Identify two informal powers of the President that contribute to the President's advantage over Congress in conducting foreign policy.
  • Explain how each of the informal powers identified in the third bullet contributes to the President's advantage over Congress in conducting foreign policy.

2007 Exam - Question 3: Conflicts between Congress and the President over war powers have their origin in the United States Constitution. In 1973 Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in an attempt to clarify the balance of powers between the two branches of government.
  • Describe the primary constitutional conflict between Congress and the President over the decision to go to war.
  • Describe two provision of the War Powers Resolution that were designed to limit the President's power over war making.
  • The War Power Resolution has received mixed reviews, but Congress has other powers over war making. Other than the constitutional power that you described in the first bullet, identify and explain two other formal powers Congress has over war making.

2008 Exam - Question 2: A number of factors enable presidents to exert influence over Congress in the area of domestic policy. However, presidents are also limited in their influence over domestic policymaking in Congress.
  • The Constitution grants the president certain enumerated powers. Describe two of these formal powers that enable the president to exert influence over domestic policy.
  • Choose two of the following. Define each term and explain how each limits the president's ability to influence domestic policymaking in Congress.
    • mandatory spending
    • party polarization
    • lame-duck period

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